ABSTRACT
Agricultural and forest fires make substantial contribution to air pollution and climate change, and hence, the identification of these fire sources is critical. This study presents an analysis on the distribution and intensity of agricultural and forest fires in the north Indian region based on the satellite observations during 2010–2019. The study exhibits that Punjab, Haryana, and the foothill plains and southern slopes of Himalayan Uttarakhand are the seasonal hotspots of such fire activities. This collectively contributes to about 85% of the total number of high-confidence active fire/hotspots detected in the north Indian region during a decade. Additionally, the occurrences of fire in these states are found highest during summer and post-monsoon as compared to other seasons and at the same time demonstrated considerable interannual variability. Analysis over a decade revealed that the maximum fire counts (~3970 hotspots) during summer and post-monsoon have occurred in 2016, and the average fire radiative power (FRP) associated with them is about 39.1 ± 28.3 megawatts (MW). Further, the study furnishes valuable information on the transport of pollutants emitted from the recurrent crop residue burning and forest fire, and their adverse impact on the Himalayan ecosystem.
